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WINTER 2005/2006 A Q U A R I U M
N E W S M A G A Z I N E O F T H E N O R T H C A R O L I N A A Q U A R I U M S NEWS
Exotic Aquatics
The Humble Oyster 3
Going Down Under 4
Exotica 6
Sharks! 11 inside
Let Us Hear from You!
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We welcome your suggestions and ideas!
Please write to us at:
North Carolina Aquariums
417 N. Blount St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
Email: admin@ncaquariums.com
Aquarium News is published twice a
year by the North Carolina
Aquarium Society
417 North Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
1-800-832-FISH (3474) • www.ncaquariums.com
Managing Editor: Sherry White
Contributors: Bob Roush, Georgia Minnich,
Joanne Harcke, Mark Joyner, Lisa Sharp,
Christian Guerreri, Jay Barnes, Patrick Murphy,
Mandi Gillespie, Jaime Haynes, Jacob Rudolph,
Mike Suchy, Charles Rawlings, Mike
Halminski, Cheryl Burke, Sandy Smith, Joe
Malat, Brian Thomason, Lee Moore, Barbara
Reavis, Paul Gray, Joe Poe
Design by Sally Johns Design, Raleigh, NC
Printing by Hickory Printing Group
Renew Your
Membership!
Is your membership about to expire?
Renewing is EASY!
1. By phone:
Call 1-800-832 FISH
2. Web site:
www.ncaquariums.com -
MEMBERSHIPS (download an
application for mailing)
3. By Mail:
Complete the membership form on
p. 13. Write RENEWAL at the top,
then clip and mail!
By Mark Joyner, Executive Vice President, NC Aquarium Society
Soundings
The new Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores’ two-story husbandry area, sheathed in blue, will
house holding facilities for animals on the lower floor. The second floor will provide space for
maintenance of the 306,000-gallon Living Shipwreck exhibit, as well as access for divers.
The yellow-sheathed area is the rear of the new gift shop.
If you’re one of millions of visitors who have
enjoyed the North Carolina Aquariums over
the years, it will come as no surprise that
the Aquariums now rank as the state’s pre-miere
educational attractions. You’ll appre-ciate,
too, that the Aquariums’ unique brand
of education is based on entertaining visi-tors
while they’re learning. With the com-pleted
expansion of the Aquarium at Pine
Knoll Shores just a few months away, that
goal becomes evermore achievable.
The grand reopening of the Aquarium at
Pine Knoll Shores marks a major milestone
for these popular facilities – the successful
completion of a series of major expansions
that got underway in 1998. First was the
Aquarium on Roanoke Island, completed in
May 2000, with an educational theme of
interpreting the Waters of the Outer Banks.
Next was the Aquarium at Fort Fisher, which
reopened in March 2002, selecting as its
theme the coastal and aquatic environ-ments
collectively known as Waters of the
Cape Fear River. Both these expansions were
met with a tremendous response from the
public, resulting in record visitation. When
the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores reopens
its doors in May 2006, its celebration of
From the Mountains to the Sea will com-plete
an $80-million hat trick.
Amazingly, there’s more to come. Plans are
now under way for a million-gallon shark
tank at the Aquarium on Roanoke Island, by
far the largest tank ever attempted by the
Aquariums, and the rebuilding of Jennette's
Pier in Nags Head, which will most likely be
renamed The Aquarium Pier, the only struc-ture
of its kind anywhere along the coast.
We hope to have both these exciting addi-tions
completed by the summer of 2008.
Stayed tuned for further developments!
In Memoriam
The NC Aquariums lost a true
friend and supporter in May 2005,
with the passing of Dr. William P.
Parker Jr. of Wilmington. A retired
neurosurgeon and former Chief of
Staff at New Hanover Regional
Medical Center, Bill was an avid
traveler and adventurer, always
armed with a quick and gentle wit.
Our condolences go out to his
wife, Connie, a charter Board
member of the NC Aquarium
Society, and all of his family.
Photo by Jay Barnes
3
The Humble Oyster
5
Counting
Nickels
6 Exotica
8
On the Job
11
Sharks!
13
Here’s
Looking
At You
Contents for Winter 2005/06
Who��s eyeing
whom?
See pg. 13
A Q U A R I U M
N E W S M A G A Z I N E O F T H E N O R T H C A R O L I N A A Q U A R I U M S NEWS
On the Cover: Beautiful but dangerous, lionfish,
Pterois volitans, are one of the fascinating animals featured in
Exotic Aquatics, a new exhibit now open at the Aquarium at
Fort Fisher. Photo by Sherry White.
Cover Inset: Powder blue tangs, Acanthurus leucosternon, are
another Exotic Aquatics inhabitant. These brilliantly-colored
fish feed almost exclusively on vegetation, and usually live
singly in shallow moving water around reef terraces and
edges. Photo by Jacob Rudolph.
1
Photo by Sandy Smith
Photo by Mike Halminski
Photo by Mike Suchy
Photo by Charles Rawlings
Eighty feet down on the
Caribsea, a sharksucker hitches
a ride on a porcupinefish.
Photo by Evan Roderick
2
Photo by Jaime Haynes
For the fourth consecutive year, the Carteret County Sportfishing
Association (CCSA) co-sponsored the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores’
annual fall Surf Fishing Workshop. Now in its fifteenth year, the
workshop attracts experienced fishermen from across the state.
“The workshop has been a huge success,” said Eddie Cameron, CCSA
president. “Our club is always excited about donating money to a
cause that will enhance an angler’s ability to have fun fishing. The
responses are terrific every year. Everyone has a great time.”
CCSA contributed $1,200 to help purchase the necessary supplies for
the two-and-a half day event, taught by professional instructors Mac
Currin, director of Sport Fishing Adventures, and Joe Malat, former
surf fishing guide and author of Surf Fishing – Catching Fish from the
Beach. The hands-on workshop includes topics such as rods, reels,
weights, line, tackle, knots, bait, fish identification, size limits, catch
and release, cast netting, “reading” the surf, locating fish from the
beach and caring for your catch. The annual fall weekend-event cul-minates
with a fishing trip to Cape Lookout National Seashore.
“This program is always a favorite with the public,” said Aquarium
Director Jay Barnes, “and I think Joe and Mac have fun teaching it.
We’re grateful that the Carteret County Sportfishing Association
continues to provide sponsorship.”
CCSA President Eddie Cameron (left) presents Jay Barnes, aquarium
director at Pine Knoll Shores, with the association’s sponsorship check.
Anglers try out their new skills at Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Photo by Sherry White
Pieces of the Puzzle
Dive Safety Officer Patrick Murphy at the Aquarium on
Roanoke Island helped fill in the blanks for a segment on
“Deep Sea Detectives,” a popular series that airs on The
History Channel. The series features underwater detectives
who are committed to using innovative research and tech-nology
to examine the fascinating facts behind mysterious
shipwrecks.
Murphy, a retired U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander,
was interviewed extensively about his technical knowledge
and expertise of Coast Guard Cutters and towing operations.
The segment, set to air in January 2006, addresses the
Bedlow-Jackson shipwrecks of 1944. Murphy has experi-ence
diving the wrecks and shared significant information
with the show’s hosts on the vessels’ layout and design.
(L-R) Dive Safety Officer Patrick Murphy, and “Deep Sea Detectives”
hosts, Ritchie Kohler and John Chatterton, take a break from
reviewing charts.
Goin’ Fishin’
Sherry White, Publicity Coordinator NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
By Lisa Sharp, Public Relations Coordinator
NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island
3
Can you name an animal that filters more than 50 gallons of water per day,
provides food and protection for fish, algae, crabs and barnacles, and is
served up on thousands of seafood platters each year? If you guessed the
humble oyster, you’re right.
Oysters, once plentiful in our inshore waters, have decreased dramatically
over the last decade. During the 1980s, state records show that North
Carolina regularly harvested 500,000 to a million pounds of oysters each
year. Since that time, disease, habitat loss, harvesting efforts and, in some
areas, reduced spatfall (not enough young oysters settling) have driven annu-al
harvests to 250,000 pounds or less. The NC Division of Marine Fisheries
currently lists the stock status of our native Eastern oyster as one of concern.
One proposed solution is the construction of state hatcheries. The North
Carolina Aquariums will lead an interagency team to plan development of
oyster hatcheries and public
education programs regarding
the hatcheries. The current bien-nial
state budget provides
$600,000 for two years ($1.2
million total) for this project.
Hatcheries can supply small oys-ters
(seed), which can be stocked
in the wild for restoration pur-poses,
sanctuaries, or raised for
food in aquaculture operations.
The results would be obvious:
More oysters filtering more
water (thus, helping clean up
our sounds), increased habitat
for small fish and invertebrates,
and ultimately more oysters
served up on our plates!
It may seem strange to imagine a sea turtle with a person-al
flotation device, but that’s exactly what we came up with
recently at the Aquarium on Roanoke Island’s Network for
Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST) rehabilitation facility.
A female loggerhead sea turtle was found stranded near
Buxton. A medical check-up revealed she was emaciated
and had an eye injury. She was sent to the Aquarium’s reha-bilitation
facility and, after being transferred into a holding
tank, a new problem arose: She floated, crookedly, earning
the nickname “Buoy.”
After consulting with veterinarians, the decision was made
to affix weights to Buoy to help her dive to the bottom, the
most natural place for her to rest. Unfortunately, this
attempt was unsuccessful because of the side-to-side
movement of air trapped in her body cavity. It was time to
call in recruits to help think outside the turtle tank!
Enter Pat Murphy, Aquarium dive safety officer, and Lou
Browning, dive volunteer. Together, they came up with the
idea of creating a flotation system that would keep Buoy
level. Using 20-ounce soda bottles and airline tubing – plas-tic
materials that could be disastrous for a turtle in the wild
– they fashioned a flotation harness. Although the bottles
didn’t allow Buoy to dive to the bottom, they did allow her
to rest evenly on the surface, where she could feed better.
This would improve her chances of healing and recovery.
Buoy progressed nicely, and the buoyancy in her harness
was reduced. Slowly, weights are being added in hopes she
will graduate from her “water wings.” Her prognosis is good.
The Humble Oyster
By Joanne Harcke, Conservation and Research Coordinator
NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
By Christian Guerreri, Assistant Aquarist
NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island
These 5-week old cultivated oysters will
reach legal, 3-inch harvestable size in about
a year. In the wild, it takes about three years
before oysters can be legally harvested.
Aquarist Christian Guerreri adjusts Buoy’s soda-bottle
flotation device.
Photo by Joe Malat
If Turtles Had Wings
Howard Fulcher and Perry Bayer harvest oysters in Carteret County’s North
River. Photo by Cheryl Burke, courtesy of Carteret County News-Times
Photo by Mike Halminski
How do you get lucky enough to dive on shipwrecks with sharks every
week without actually going into the ocean? First, become a national-ly
certified SCUBA diver, then join the Volunteer Dive Program at the
North Carolina Aquariums.
Following its major expansion in 2000, the Aquarium on Roanoke
Island was the first of the state’s three public Aquariums to develop a
Volunteer Dive Program. Its
members currently number
between 25-30. Most dives
take place in the Aquarium’s
285,000-gallon Graveyard
of the Atlantic exhibit,
although 10 smaller exhibits
require the help of the dive
team.
Most incoming volunteer
divers are newly SCUBA cer-tified,
with a minimum of
underwater time. Others
hold more advanced certifi-cations.
Dive duties include
scrubbing the ironclad USS
Monitor in The Graveyard of
the Atlantic exhibit and
vacuuming its expansive
gravel bottom. Visitors can
observe divers through viewing windows and communicate with them
via a special underwater audio system.
Members of Roanoke Island's volunteer dive team undergo a 4-6 week
training program, after which they are assigned to a weekly team and
paired with more experienced divers.
Incorporating divers into exhibits with native marine life provides vis-itors
with a mesmerizing glimpse of man's alien presence in this mys-terious
underwater world. For information on the Volunteer Dive pro-gram
at the Aquarium on Roanoke Island, contact Volunteer
Coordinator Mandi Gillespie at 252-473-3494, ext. 254. At the
Aquarium at Fort Fisher, contact Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Stutz at
910-458-8259, ext. 232. The new Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores will
establish a Volunteer Dive Program when it reopens in May 2006.
4
Hurricanes and stormy weather are seasonal
facts of life along the North Carolina coast.
When the NC Aquarium Society took owner-ship
of Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, the his-toric
landmark, built in 1939, had weathered
dozens of storms as the oldest pier along the
Outer Banks.
In 2003, Hurricane Isabel destroyed most of
the pier, but left the 9,000-square-foot pier
house. Planning is under way for a storm-resistant
structure built entirely of concrete. At
the end of 2005, the old pier will be closed and
work will begin.
In addition to a planned 1,000-foot concrete
pier, a two-story pier house will feature
aquarium tanks to showcase fish species
commonly caught by pier fishermen, along
with exhibits, classrooms, public meeting
spaces, tackle shop, restaurant and gift shop.
Seven small cottages on the 5-acre site will
be retained as much-needed housing for
Aquarium interns and seasonal staff.
“We look forward to the new pier as a great
addition to the educational programming
offered by the Aquarium," said J.P. McCann,
director of the nearby Aquarium on Roanoke
Island. "It will be a great opportunity to
present a unique combination of water-related
experiences and, hopefully, instill a
greater appreciation of the important role
water plays in all our lives.”
Pier Pressure
Going Down
Youngsters learn about fish and fishing at
Jennette’s Pier.
Volunteer divers (L-R) Mary Terrell, Sid Parnell and Chris Guerreri suit
up to go down under.
Youngsters are always excited to see a
diver in the tank.
Photo by Joanne Harcke
By Mark Joyner, NC Aquarium Society
Photo by Mandi Gillespie
Photo by Bob Roush
By Pat Murphy, Dive Safety Officer
NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island Under
Pirate
Alert!
Pirates took control of
the Aquarium at Fort
Fisher recently, if only
for a few hours. The
occasion? “Trick or
Treat Under the Sea,”
the Aquarium’s annual
Halloween celebration. Now in its fourth year, the
Halloween revelry attracts close to 1,500 costumed
merrymakers of all ages for a festival of aquatically-themed
“scary” fun.
This year’s highlight: an elaborately designed haunted
house, filled with pirate ghosts. Smaller fry were invited to
try the somewhat less horrifying Moray Eel Funhouse.
As in years past, local businesses sponsored booths to dole
out candy to cruising goblins. Proceeds from this year’s
festival went to the NC
Helping Neighbors Fund,
established by Gov. Easley
in partnership with NC
United Way, to assist vic-tims
of Hurricane Katrina.
Seven-year-old Jackson Alexander had a weighty subject to discuss with the
Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores recently. Jackson brought in a jar filled with
coins – more than $70 worth! – as a donation to the Aquarium’s current
expansion project. “I thought if I helped raise money, maybe the Aquarium
would open sooner,” young Jackson explained. The Aquarium closed Jan. 1,
2004, for a two-year expansion. Reopening is set for May 2006.
The Alexanders are long-time Aquarium Society members. “We first brought
Jackson to the Aquarium when he was 6 months old,” said his grandmother,
Loretta Alexander of Emerald Isle. “He absolutely loves it and is so anxious for
it to reopen.”
Jackson is the son of Perry and Catherine Alexander of Kinston. A rising
second-grader, enterprising Jackson came up with his fund-raising idea when
the Aquarium closed. He created five different marine habitats in small
aquariums at his grandmother’s home in Emerald Isle and stocked them with
plastic animal replicas. He posted a sign outside announcing “Alexander’s
Aquarium at the Beach House.” He charged $2 for friends and neighbors to
visit. Turtles, eels, clams, sharks and whales, and an Arctic habitat were the
featured exhibits.
This fall, Jackson stopped in
at the Aquarium’s offsite
location in Atlantic Station
Shopping Center to deliver
his contribution. Aquarium
Director Jay Barnes came out
to meet him and thank him
for his donation. The two dis-cussed
Jackson’s innovative
fund-raising efforts and
Jackson was given an on-the-
spot “behind-the-scenes
tour” of the husbandry hold-ing
area. He’ll be invited back
for a special “behind-the-scenes”
tour when the new
Aquarium opens.
In addition to “Alexander’s
Aquarium at the Beach
House,” Jackson and his
5-year-old sister, Caileigh,
operated a lemonade stand
to raise money for the
Aquarium. Jackson’s younger
brother, 1-year-old Braxton,
was too young to get in on
the action.
5
Counting Nickels and Dimes
By Sherry White, Publicity Coordinator
NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
By Bob Roush, Public
Relations Coordinator
NC Aquarium at
Fort Fisher
Jackson Alexander was all smiles when he met
the director and delivered his contribution.
Aly Stratton camps it up with
visitors during Halloween festivities.
A mere figment of his former self, a pirate
catches a ride on an Aquarium alligator.
Photo by Sherry White
Photo by Jacob Rudolph
Photo by Bob Roush
In early November, the Aquarium at Fort Fisher pulled
back the curtain on a dazzling new ensemble:
Marine snakes, cuttlefish, lionfish and Pacific reef fishes
are the headliners. Another player, an octopus, has been
charming visitors since an earlier debut in August.
“People can now see some of the strangest and most
beautiful creatures from the far reaches of our planet,”
said Donna Moffitt, the facility’s director.
Moffitt describes the
new collection as a bold
excursion from the NC
Aquariums’ tradition of
showcasing only those life
forms indigenous to the state’s
freshwater, coastal and open ocean habitats.
“We’re sending a message,” said Moffitt. “There’s
always something new and exciting at the Aquarium!”
Real Sea Serpents
Highly venomous marine snakes take center stage in the new gallery. The
collection includes an erabu (Laticauda semifasciata) and a yellow-lipped
or banded sea krait (l. colubrina), two krait species from the Indian Ocean
and tropical Pacific. The exhibit allows excellent, yet quite safe, views
of these fascinating animals, as they move among the roots of a
mangrove habitat typical of Sri Lanka or New Guinea.
Cuttlefish
Many will find it amazing that these fast moving, visually fascinating
animals are mollusks – relatives of clams, oysters and snails. Cuttlefish
are cephalopods, a group that includes octopus and squid. Like other
cephalopods, cuttlefish shoot ink to foil enemies and prey, and rapidly
change color and patterns. This “fluorescent flashing” lets them blend
with their surroundings, warn enemies, confuse prey, or lure a mate.
The cuttlefish on display are European (Sepia
officinalis), or pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharao-nis).
Both are found worldwide, but the
European is especially prevalent in the
Mediterranean. The pharaoh is
more common in the Red
Sea and Indian Ocean.
Because
cuttlefish live
for only a year
or so, keeping enough
for an exhibit is a challenge. The solution is captive breeding. The exhibited
animals are offspring of a seed-population imported months ago. The
Aquarium also propagates sea horses, sea nettles and moon jellies to
ensure a steady supply of specimens for exhibits.
Exotica By Bob Roush, Public Relations Coordinator, NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Strange and Beautiful
6
Lionfish
Lionfish are members of a
family with specialized
spines that
inflict venom.
The new
gallery
includes several
lionfish
(Pterois
volitans), and
their close relatives, spotted
scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri).
Creatures of the Indo-Pacific, lionfish were first
seen in North Carolina waters in 2000 by scuba
divers exploring offshore wrecks. Since then,
their numbers have increased dramatically. They
are now considered an invasive species that
could impact native fishes. The indigenous scor-pionfish
is found from Massachusetts to Brazil.
The two species flutter and lurk in a rocky lair
similar to the hardbottom reefs near our coast.
Exotic Aquatics.
7
High-Tech Visuals
Exotic Aquatics’ new interpretive technologies make
learning fun. A flat panel liquid-crystal
display at each exhibit provides
facts and photo IDs to
illuminate the
featured animals.
Screen content,
controlled though
an unseen computer,
is easily updated.
Photos by Jacob Rudolph and Bob Roush
Pacific Reef
A vibrant exhibit a few steps
away houses species
typically found on a
Pacific-atoll coral reef. The
scene may remind visitors of the
characters and backdrops
in the movie, “Finding Nemo.”
This collection of fanciful, colorful
reef-feeders includes clownfish,
angelfish, tangs, wrasses,
butterflyfish, cardinalfish and
others. The “live rock” in this
exhibit poses a special
challenge for aquarists,
because it harbors living
corals and other
invertebrates found in
Pacific reef habitats.
About Sea Snakes
All of the 70 known species are true snakes,
with lungs. Most can remain submerged for
90 minutes or more, but typically surface
several times an hour for air.
These highly venomous relatives of cobras
are found in great numbers in the tropical
waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Their venom is an extremely potent cocktail
of toxins, used for subduing prey. Their
fangs are small, and fatal bites to humans
are rare.
Most marine snakes never leave the water
and bear live young there. Only sea kraits
venture onto land to lay eggs.
Exotic Aquatics has two sea krait species,
both found in mangrove swamps, coral reefs
and the open sea. One, the banded, or yel-low-
lipped, dines exclusively on eels.
The other, the erabu, accepts other fish.
Yellow-lipped sea krait, l. colubrina
Life on Planet Ocean
Biochemistry major Jaimee Floyd spent part
of her summer feeding fish, turtles and alli-gators
at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll
Shores. The aquarium is operating out of
temporary quarters in Atlantic Station
Shopping Center, Atlantic Beach, while work
continues on its $25-million expansion. The
new Aquarium is scheduled to reopen in May
2006. Floyd was one of several interns to
work at the aquarium during the summer.
“I’ve always liked biology and chemistry,” said
Floyd, “so I just put the two together.” A stu-dent
at Mississippi State University (MSU),
Floyd has another year of undergraduate
school before attending MSU’s veterinary
school. She learned of the aquarium’s intern-ship
program on the Internet. The Aquariums
offer internships in various departments and list
information at www.ncaquariums.com.
Because the Aquarium is closed for expan-sion,
Floyd wasn’t sure what she would be
doing. “I didn’t really know what to expect,”
she said, “but I had plenty to do!” Her duties
ranged from cleaning tanks to feeding ani-mals,
to joining the Aquarium’s husbandry
staff on collecting trips in area waters. “There’s
a lot of routine maintenance, but I really liked
working with the animals,” she said.
At the completion of her veterinary studies,
Floyd wants to work with exotic animals in
an aquarium or zoo. “I’ve worked in a vet’s
office, and working with these animals is
definitely different,” she said. “It reaffirms
my goal of working with exotic animals.”
Your Best Shot
Helping build jellyfish propagation tanks
was one of Floyd’s jobs.
Hit us with your best shot for the NC Aquarium’s annual
Underwater Photo Competition. The contest is designed for ama-teur
and non-professional photographers, and no entry fee is
required. Deadline for this year’s entries is December 31, 2005.
Winners will be announced on or before March 31, 2006. Now in
its fifth year, the contest is sponsored by East Carolina Bank.
The Aquariums stage the underwater photo contest to highlight
the state’s rich aquatic resources, and to recognize excellence in
amateur photography. Cash prizes are awarded in three cate-gories;
Underwater Open, Underwater Animal Close-ups and
Aquatic Life in the NC Aquariums. Entries by divers must be taken
in the waters off North Carolina, or within the state’s freshwater
systems. Winning photos are published here in Aquarium News.
For complete contest rules and entry application, or to view last
year’s winning entries, visit www.ncaquariums.com.
8
On-the-Job Training
By Sherry White, Publicity Coordinator, NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Colorful Christmas tree worms, photographed by Brian Thomason of
Morehead City, are small filter feeders that subsist mainly on bacteria
and organic matter.
Photos by Sherry White
Working with turtles and alligators was Jaimee Floyd’s favorite task during her summer
internship at the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
9
The Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores closed Jan.
1, 2004, to begin a long-planned expansion.
When it reopens in May 2006, it will be three
times larger than the original facility and have
many new and exciting features. Architectural
plans include a 32-foot waterfall, 306,000-
gallon Living Shipwreck exhibit, 50,000-gal-lon
Queen Anne’s Revenge display, stingray
touch pool, otter exhibit and many other
dynamic features.
Aquarium Director Jay Barnes continues to
take notes. Here are excerpts from his…
Director’s Log
The NEW Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is
taking shape. The building is now “dried in,��� a
term indicating that the roofing is watertight,
allowing installation of Sheetrock wallboards.
As the Sheetrock has gone up, many rooms,
offices and galleries have taken on their final
appearance. As staff and architects complete
their inspections, we get a real sense of the
visitor’s journey through our five galleries,
From the Mountains to the Sea.
Many of the electrical, mechanical and
plumbing systems are in place, and prepara-tions
are under way to start up these systems
in the coming months. Air handlers are being
prepped to begin circulating, and the all-important
main electrical power feed for the
building will be installed soon. The new waste
treatment plant, which recently has been the
subject of local media attention, will be oper-ational
within a few weeks.
Hurricane Ophelia did not harm construction,
however, it did delay work about a week.
Fortunately, the building suffered no damage
despite high winds battering the area for
more than 30 hours. The Aquarium’s dock on
Bogue Sound was hit hard, but repairs will
begin soon.
In recent days, one very visible addition has
been the entrance plaza canopy, a large roof
structure that provides cover for visitors as
they come and go from the Aquarium. Other
recent work includes the steel and fabric
framework for the Smoky Mountain Waterfall,
a massive interior display formed to look like a
mountain gorge. Soon, sprayed concrete will
be applied to the form, then sculpted to look
like chiseled rock. Most all exhibit tanks are
now on site, and in the coming months win-dows
and decorative inserts will be added.
Graphic panels are in production, ceramic tile
work begins soon, painting has begun in some
work areas—the list of individual tasks goes on.
New staff continue to join us as well, includ-ing
Education Curator Windy Arey-Kent. Over
the next several months almost three-dozen
new employees will be hired, working in all
aspects of our operations. For more informa-tion
about jobs at the Aquarium, monitor our
employment link on the Aquarium website:
www.ncaquariums.com.
Jay Barnes
New Aquarium – On Time, On Budget!
With scaffolding in the foreground, the
Smoky Mountain Waterfall looks like a
spelunker’s dream. The 32-foot high
waterfall will cascade into a clear mountain
trout pool.
A new state-of-the-art filtration system
will provide optimum life support for
Aquarium animals.
The new entrance at the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is taking shape. Interior walls are going
up, pavilion canopies are going on, and tanks are being water tested.
Photos by Jay Barnes
Photo by Mark Joyner
10
Thanks to Whole Foods Market, a school
of flashy fish has found a new perma-nent
home at the NC Aquariums. The
whimsical sculptures, once suspended
over the seafood department of the pop-ular
Raleigh grocery, were donated to
the Aquariums last summer.
The colorful and imaginative contempo-rary
creations are the work of studio
artist Bill Hickman, who specializes in
welded steel designs, often created
from scrap objects such as saw
blades and barbed wire. The collection is
valued at more than $14,000.
The nine fanciful figures range
in size from nearly 6 feet
long and 3 feet high to a
diminutive 12-inches in
height. Tentative plans are
to install the majority of the
sculptures in the new NC Aquarium at
Pine Knoll Shores, where they will add
an element of whimsy for visitors.
Aquarium To Get Facelift
Sharks, like this sand tiger, will
be one of the specimens in the
new million-gallon-plus exhibit.
Photo by Sandy Smith
Fanciful Fish
Visitors to the Aquarium on Roanoke Island can look forward to
noticeable changes and exciting new residents in the not-so-dis-tant
future. “We’re looking at redesigning our admission entrance
and parking lot,” said Aquarium Director J.P. McCann. “We’re also
planning to add a new soundfront multipurpose room. But the most
exciting news is a new exhibit that will feature a variety of impres-sively
large sharks.” Construction is set to begin in late 2006, with
completion targeted for 2008.
The new shark exhibit will be three times larger than the
Aquarium’s existing 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic
display. “Our surveys indicate that the public would like more ani-mals,
bigger animals and more feeding programs,” said McCann.
“The new shark exhibit will hold more than a million gallons of salt
water, and we’ll continue our popular diver-in-the-tank and feed-ing
demonstrations.”
The building’s redesign will also create more space for staff, animal
holding, exhibits and public gatherings. “There’s a demand for
space that can be rented by the public for meetings, seminars and
other such events,” explained McCann. “Adding the soundfront
multipurpose room will meet that need, and when not in use, the
staff can use it for special programs. Also, the redesign of the front
admission area will better serve visitors during high-visitation
times, such as summer and holidays.”
11
It was a “hurry-up-and-wait�� kind of day at
the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
Operating out of its offsite location in
Atlantic Station Shopping Center, Atlantic
Beach, the staff was anticipating the deliv-ery
of three large sand tiger sharks. A
30,000-gallon holding tank had been filled,
a freshwater-dip bath was ready, the weight
scales were in place, and a veterinary staff
was on stand-by for the sharks’ arrival.
The new sharks were collected and being
transported by Dynasty Marine Associates,
Inc., a federally-permitted collection compa-ny
based in Marathon, Fla. Dynasty provides
specimens to zoos and aquariums around
the world. The Aquarium has approximately
1,000 specimens in its holding facility, with
a projected 3,000 total specimens planned
for its grand opening in May in its new
$25-million Aquarium.
“We get specimens from four primary
sources,” explained Aquarium Husbandry
Curator Stuart May. “We collect many our-selves,
we trade with other aquariums, some
come from professional collecting organiza-tions,
and we get others from local fishermen,
pier owners and recreational divers. We opted
to get the sand tigers from Dynasty because
we’re working with a minimal husbandry staff
while we’re closed for expansion.”
Dynasty collected the sharks off Delmarva
Peninsula and transported them to the
Aquarium in the company’s specially-equipped
tractor-trailer. One by one, the ani-mals
were off-loaded in a standard, stretch-er-
like sling. Each was weighed, followed by
a freshwater dip to remove parasites and
take blood samples. In a little more than an
hour, the sharks were swimming in their new
30,000-gallon home.
The new specimens, two females and a
male, averaged more than 7 feet in length
and weighed between 165 and 235 pounds.
According to Dr. Craig Harms, assistant pro-fessor
of aquatic and zoo animals with NC
State College of Veterinary Medicine, pre-liminary
onsite analysis of the blood sam-ples
indicated the sharks had weathered the
trip well.
“Sand tigers are very common on wrecks off
our coast,” commented Aquarist Jeff
McBane. “You can almost guarantee sight-ings
on the Papoose, Atlas, Caribsea, Indra
and other wrecks. We’ll also be getting nurse
sharks, bonnetheads, which are a small
species of hammerhead, and brown sharks,
also known as sandbar sharks. We’ll most
likely collect those ourselves, when our addi-tional
staff comes onboard during the next
few months.”
Sand tigers are found in coastal waters of
Australia, South Africa, South America,
Japan, India and China in depths up to 655
feet. In American waters, they are consid-ered
non-aggressive and fairly easy to cap-ture.
Fearsome-looking, with the habit of
swimming with mouths agape to expose
narrow, needle-like teeth, they are essential-ly
gentle sharks. However, they can become
aggressive if provoked. Their diet consists
primarily of large and small bony fishes,
small sharks, rays, crustaceans and squid.
They are known to make long migrations for
reproduction.
“These animals will be among the most
popular specimens on display in the new
Aquarium,” said Jay Barnes, Aquarium
director. “We know that sharks always get a
lot of attention from visitors, and seeing
these sand tigers up close will leave a lasting
impression.”
By Sherry White, Publicity Coordinator
NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Photo by Sherry White
Photo by Sherry White
Photo by Georgia Minnich
A 7-foot female sand tiger shark is released into its new home.
Parasites are removed. Dr. Craig Harms (right) takes a blood sample.
Sharks!
Be one of the many Aquarium
fans to sport a special license
plate, featuring the Aquarium
spadefish logo. These colorful
plates are ready to go to press as
soon as commitments and pay-ments
reach 300. The cost of the
specialty tag is just $30, in addi-tion
to your regular annual license
plate fee.
You can also personalize your plate
for an additional $30, which allows you to choose a combina-tion
of four letters or numbers. Creative phrases already ordered
include FINS, OBX, FISH, TUNA, WAVE and H20.
To order your specialized
plate, fill out the application
below and clip and mail to
the N.C. Aquarium Society,
417 N. Blount St., Raleigh,
NC 27601.
Please make your check or
money order payable to the
NC Aquarium Society.
For more information, call the NC Aquarium Society at
1.800.832.FISH (3474). Thank you for your interest and
support of the Aquariums!
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Please check one: (Note: These fees are in addition to your regular annual license plate fee.)
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If you enjoy the Aquariums (not to mention the NC
Zoo), and still haven’t become a member, you’re miss-ing
out on an incredible deal. Aquarium membership
allows year-round admission to all three NC
Aquariums, the Zoo, and more than 150 other US zoos
and aquariums. A family of two adults and children
or grandchildren under 18 can enjoy the Aquariums
all year for only $50, and take advantage of 10%
discounts on programs and Gift Shop purchases.
Your membership helps support Aquarium education
programs and activities, which each year reach over
a million visitors, including 100,000 school students
from across the state.
It’s Easy!
To join the NC Aquarium Society or to send a gift
membership to someone special, just fill out the
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by calling 1-800-832-FISH (3474), Ext. 229.
Download additional membership applications from
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N O R T H C A R O L I N A
AQUARIUM SOCIETY
✃
Answers: 1. Orangespotted filefish; 2. Oyster toadfish; 3. Blenny; 4. Flounder; 5. Reticulate moray; 6. Lionfish; 7. Great barracuda; 8. Red drum
Divers often wonder who’s looking at
whom when they venture into our myste-rious
world beneath the sea. Can you
identify these eye-to-eye encounters with
fascinating creatures from our waters?
Answers are at the bottom of the quiz.
Photo by Lee Moore
Photo by Barbara Reavis
Photo by Paul Gray
Photo by Sandy Smith
Photo by Joe Poe
Photo by Sandy Smith
Photo by Dale Hansen
Here’s Looking
at You . . .
1.___________________________ 2.___________________________
3.___________________________
6.___________________________ 7.___________________________
Photo by John Mauser
8.___________________________
4.___________________________ 5.___________________________
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annual license plate fee. Of this
amount, $20 goes to support the
exhibits, programs and activities at the
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such as highway beautification and
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To apply for your special tag, complete
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For more information about the
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about the Aquariums, call the NC
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WINTER 2005/2006 A Q U A R I U M
N E W S M A G A Z I N E O F T H E N O R T H C A R O L I N A A Q U A R I U M S NEWS
Exotic Aquatics
The Humble Oyster 3
Going Down Under 4
Exotica 6
Sharks! 11 inside
Let Us Hear from You!
Do you have comments about …
• Exhibits?
• The Web site?
• Aquarium programs?
• Aquarium News articles?
We welcome your suggestions and ideas!
Please write to us at:
North Carolina Aquariums
417 N. Blount St.
Raleigh, NC 27601
Email: admin@ncaquariums.com
Aquarium News is published twice a
year by the North Carolina
Aquarium Society
417 North Blount Street, Raleigh, NC 27601
1-800-832-FISH (3474) • www.ncaquariums.com
Managing Editor: Sherry White
Contributors: Bob Roush, Georgia Minnich,
Joanne Harcke, Mark Joyner, Lisa Sharp,
Christian Guerreri, Jay Barnes, Patrick Murphy,
Mandi Gillespie, Jaime Haynes, Jacob Rudolph,
Mike Suchy, Charles Rawlings, Mike
Halminski, Cheryl Burke, Sandy Smith, Joe
Malat, Brian Thomason, Lee Moore, Barbara
Reavis, Paul Gray, Joe Poe
Design by Sally Johns Design, Raleigh, NC
Printing by Hickory Printing Group
Renew Your
Membership!
Is your membership about to expire?
Renewing is EASY!
1. By phone:
Call 1-800-832 FISH
2. Web site:
www.ncaquariums.com -
MEMBERSHIPS (download an
application for mailing)
3. By Mail:
Complete the membership form on
p. 13. Write RENEWAL at the top,
then clip and mail!
By Mark Joyner, Executive Vice President, NC Aquarium Society
Soundings
The new Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores’ two-story husbandry area, sheathed in blue, will
house holding facilities for animals on the lower floor. The second floor will provide space for
maintenance of the 306,000-gallon Living Shipwreck exhibit, as well as access for divers.
The yellow-sheathed area is the rear of the new gift shop.
If you’re one of millions of visitors who have
enjoyed the North Carolina Aquariums over
the years, it will come as no surprise that
the Aquariums now rank as the state’s pre-miere
educational attractions. You’ll appre-ciate,
too, that the Aquariums’ unique brand
of education is based on entertaining visi-tors
while they’re learning. With the com-pleted
expansion of the Aquarium at Pine
Knoll Shores just a few months away, that
goal becomes evermore achievable.
The grand reopening of the Aquarium at
Pine Knoll Shores marks a major milestone
for these popular facilities – the successful
completion of a series of major expansions
that got underway in 1998. First was the
Aquarium on Roanoke Island, completed in
May 2000, with an educational theme of
interpreting the Waters of the Outer Banks.
Next was the Aquarium at Fort Fisher, which
reopened in March 2002, selecting as its
theme the coastal and aquatic environ-ments
collectively known as Waters of the
Cape Fear River. Both these expansions were
met with a tremendous response from the
public, resulting in record visitation. When
the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores reopens
its doors in May 2006, its celebration of
From the Mountains to the Sea will com-plete
an $80-million hat trick.
Amazingly, there’s more to come. Plans are
now under way for a million-gallon shark
tank at the Aquarium on Roanoke Island, by
far the largest tank ever attempted by the
Aquariums, and the rebuilding of Jennette's
Pier in Nags Head, which will most likely be
renamed The Aquarium Pier, the only struc-ture
of its kind anywhere along the coast.
We hope to have both these exciting addi-tions
completed by the summer of 2008.
Stayed tuned for further developments!
In Memoriam
The NC Aquariums lost a true
friend and supporter in May 2005,
with the passing of Dr. William P.
Parker Jr. of Wilmington. A retired
neurosurgeon and former Chief of
Staff at New Hanover Regional
Medical Center, Bill was an avid
traveler and adventurer, always
armed with a quick and gentle wit.
Our condolences go out to his
wife, Connie, a charter Board
member of the NC Aquarium
Society, and all of his family.
Photo by Jay Barnes
3
The Humble Oyster
5
Counting
Nickels
6 Exotica
8
On the Job
11
Sharks!
13
Here’s
Looking
At You
Contents for Winter 2005/06
Who��s eyeing
whom?
See pg. 13
A Q U A R I U M
N E W S M A G A Z I N E O F T H E N O R T H C A R O L I N A A Q U A R I U M S NEWS
On the Cover: Beautiful but dangerous, lionfish,
Pterois volitans, are one of the fascinating animals featured in
Exotic Aquatics, a new exhibit now open at the Aquarium at
Fort Fisher. Photo by Sherry White.
Cover Inset: Powder blue tangs, Acanthurus leucosternon, are
another Exotic Aquatics inhabitant. These brilliantly-colored
fish feed almost exclusively on vegetation, and usually live
singly in shallow moving water around reef terraces and
edges. Photo by Jacob Rudolph.
1
Photo by Sandy Smith
Photo by Mike Halminski
Photo by Mike Suchy
Photo by Charles Rawlings
Eighty feet down on the
Caribsea, a sharksucker hitches
a ride on a porcupinefish.
Photo by Evan Roderick
2
Photo by Jaime Haynes
For the fourth consecutive year, the Carteret County Sportfishing
Association (CCSA) co-sponsored the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores’
annual fall Surf Fishing Workshop. Now in its fifteenth year, the
workshop attracts experienced fishermen from across the state.
“The workshop has been a huge success,” said Eddie Cameron, CCSA
president. “Our club is always excited about donating money to a
cause that will enhance an angler’s ability to have fun fishing. The
responses are terrific every year. Everyone has a great time.”
CCSA contributed $1,200 to help purchase the necessary supplies for
the two-and-a half day event, taught by professional instructors Mac
Currin, director of Sport Fishing Adventures, and Joe Malat, former
surf fishing guide and author of Surf Fishing – Catching Fish from the
Beach. The hands-on workshop includes topics such as rods, reels,
weights, line, tackle, knots, bait, fish identification, size limits, catch
and release, cast netting, “reading” the surf, locating fish from the
beach and caring for your catch. The annual fall weekend-event cul-minates
with a fishing trip to Cape Lookout National Seashore.
“This program is always a favorite with the public,” said Aquarium
Director Jay Barnes, “and I think Joe and Mac have fun teaching it.
We’re grateful that the Carteret County Sportfishing Association
continues to provide sponsorship.”
CCSA President Eddie Cameron (left) presents Jay Barnes, aquarium
director at Pine Knoll Shores, with the association’s sponsorship check.
Anglers try out their new skills at Cape Lookout National Seashore.
Photo by Sherry White
Pieces of the Puzzle
Dive Safety Officer Patrick Murphy at the Aquarium on
Roanoke Island helped fill in the blanks for a segment on
“Deep Sea Detectives,” a popular series that airs on The
History Channel. The series features underwater detectives
who are committed to using innovative research and tech-nology
to examine the fascinating facts behind mysterious
shipwrecks.
Murphy, a retired U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander,
was interviewed extensively about his technical knowledge
and expertise of Coast Guard Cutters and towing operations.
The segment, set to air in January 2006, addresses the
Bedlow-Jackson shipwrecks of 1944. Murphy has experi-ence
diving the wrecks and shared significant information
with the show’s hosts on the vessels’ layout and design.
(L-R) Dive Safety Officer Patrick Murphy, and “Deep Sea Detectives”
hosts, Ritchie Kohler and John Chatterton, take a break from
reviewing charts.
Goin’ Fishin’
Sherry White, Publicity Coordinator NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
By Lisa Sharp, Public Relations Coordinator
NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island
3
Can you name an animal that filters more than 50 gallons of water per day,
provides food and protection for fish, algae, crabs and barnacles, and is
served up on thousands of seafood platters each year? If you guessed the
humble oyster, you’re right.
Oysters, once plentiful in our inshore waters, have decreased dramatically
over the last decade. During the 1980s, state records show that North
Carolina regularly harvested 500,000 to a million pounds of oysters each
year. Since that time, disease, habitat loss, harvesting efforts and, in some
areas, reduced spatfall (not enough young oysters settling) have driven annu-al
harvests to 250,000 pounds or less. The NC Division of Marine Fisheries
currently lists the stock status of our native Eastern oyster as one of concern.
One proposed solution is the construction of state hatcheries. The North
Carolina Aquariums will lead an interagency team to plan development of
oyster hatcheries and public
education programs regarding
the hatcheries. The current bien-nial
state budget provides
$600,000 for two years ($1.2
million total) for this project.
Hatcheries can supply small oys-ters
(seed), which can be stocked
in the wild for restoration pur-poses,
sanctuaries, or raised for
food in aquaculture operations.
The results would be obvious:
More oysters filtering more
water (thus, helping clean up
our sounds), increased habitat
for small fish and invertebrates,
and ultimately more oysters
served up on our plates!
It may seem strange to imagine a sea turtle with a person-al
flotation device, but that’s exactly what we came up with
recently at the Aquarium on Roanoke Island’s Network for
Endangered Sea Turtles (NEST) rehabilitation facility.
A female loggerhead sea turtle was found stranded near
Buxton. A medical check-up revealed she was emaciated
and had an eye injury. She was sent to the Aquarium’s reha-bilitation
facility and, after being transferred into a holding
tank, a new problem arose: She floated, crookedly, earning
the nickname “Buoy.”
After consulting with veterinarians, the decision was made
to affix weights to Buoy to help her dive to the bottom, the
most natural place for her to rest. Unfortunately, this
attempt was unsuccessful because of the side-to-side
movement of air trapped in her body cavity. It was time to
call in recruits to help think outside the turtle tank!
Enter Pat Murphy, Aquarium dive safety officer, and Lou
Browning, dive volunteer. Together, they came up with the
idea of creating a flotation system that would keep Buoy
level. Using 20-ounce soda bottles and airline tubing – plas-tic
materials that could be disastrous for a turtle in the wild
– they fashioned a flotation harness. Although the bottles
didn’t allow Buoy to dive to the bottom, they did allow her
to rest evenly on the surface, where she could feed better.
This would improve her chances of healing and recovery.
Buoy progressed nicely, and the buoyancy in her harness
was reduced. Slowly, weights are being added in hopes she
will graduate from her “water wings.” Her prognosis is good.
The Humble Oyster
By Joanne Harcke, Conservation and Research Coordinator
NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
By Christian Guerreri, Assistant Aquarist
NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island
These 5-week old cultivated oysters will
reach legal, 3-inch harvestable size in about
a year. In the wild, it takes about three years
before oysters can be legally harvested.
Aquarist Christian Guerreri adjusts Buoy’s soda-bottle
flotation device.
Photo by Joe Malat
If Turtles Had Wings
Howard Fulcher and Perry Bayer harvest oysters in Carteret County’s North
River. Photo by Cheryl Burke, courtesy of Carteret County News-Times
Photo by Mike Halminski
How do you get lucky enough to dive on shipwrecks with sharks every
week without actually going into the ocean? First, become a national-ly
certified SCUBA diver, then join the Volunteer Dive Program at the
North Carolina Aquariums.
Following its major expansion in 2000, the Aquarium on Roanoke
Island was the first of the state’s three public Aquariums to develop a
Volunteer Dive Program. Its
members currently number
between 25-30. Most dives
take place in the Aquarium’s
285,000-gallon Graveyard
of the Atlantic exhibit,
although 10 smaller exhibits
require the help of the dive
team.
Most incoming volunteer
divers are newly SCUBA cer-tified,
with a minimum of
underwater time. Others
hold more advanced certifi-cations.
Dive duties include
scrubbing the ironclad USS
Monitor in The Graveyard of
the Atlantic exhibit and
vacuuming its expansive
gravel bottom. Visitors can
observe divers through viewing windows and communicate with them
via a special underwater audio system.
Members of Roanoke Island's volunteer dive team undergo a 4-6 week
training program, after which they are assigned to a weekly team and
paired with more experienced divers.
Incorporating divers into exhibits with native marine life provides vis-itors
with a mesmerizing glimpse of man's alien presence in this mys-terious
underwater world. For information on the Volunteer Dive pro-gram
at the Aquarium on Roanoke Island, contact Volunteer
Coordinator Mandi Gillespie at 252-473-3494, ext. 254. At the
Aquarium at Fort Fisher, contact Volunteer Coordinator Lisa Stutz at
910-458-8259, ext. 232. The new Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores will
establish a Volunteer Dive Program when it reopens in May 2006.
4
Hurricanes and stormy weather are seasonal
facts of life along the North Carolina coast.
When the NC Aquarium Society took owner-ship
of Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, the his-toric
landmark, built in 1939, had weathered
dozens of storms as the oldest pier along the
Outer Banks.
In 2003, Hurricane Isabel destroyed most of
the pier, but left the 9,000-square-foot pier
house. Planning is under way for a storm-resistant
structure built entirely of concrete. At
the end of 2005, the old pier will be closed and
work will begin.
In addition to a planned 1,000-foot concrete
pier, a two-story pier house will feature
aquarium tanks to showcase fish species
commonly caught by pier fishermen, along
with exhibits, classrooms, public meeting
spaces, tackle shop, restaurant and gift shop.
Seven small cottages on the 5-acre site will
be retained as much-needed housing for
Aquarium interns and seasonal staff.
“We look forward to the new pier as a great
addition to the educational programming
offered by the Aquarium," said J.P. McCann,
director of the nearby Aquarium on Roanoke
Island. "It will be a great opportunity to
present a unique combination of water-related
experiences and, hopefully, instill a
greater appreciation of the important role
water plays in all our lives.”
Pier Pressure
Going Down
Youngsters learn about fish and fishing at
Jennette’s Pier.
Volunteer divers (L-R) Mary Terrell, Sid Parnell and Chris Guerreri suit
up to go down under.
Youngsters are always excited to see a
diver in the tank.
Photo by Joanne Harcke
By Mark Joyner, NC Aquarium Society
Photo by Mandi Gillespie
Photo by Bob Roush
By Pat Murphy, Dive Safety Officer
NC Aquarium on Roanoke Island Under
Pirate
Alert!
Pirates took control of
the Aquarium at Fort
Fisher recently, if only
for a few hours. The
occasion? “Trick or
Treat Under the Sea,”
the Aquarium’s annual
Halloween celebration. Now in its fourth year, the
Halloween revelry attracts close to 1,500 costumed
merrymakers of all ages for a festival of aquatically-themed
“scary” fun.
This year’s highlight: an elaborately designed haunted
house, filled with pirate ghosts. Smaller fry were invited to
try the somewhat less horrifying Moray Eel Funhouse.
As in years past, local businesses sponsored booths to dole
out candy to cruising goblins. Proceeds from this year’s
festival went to the NC
Helping Neighbors Fund,
established by Gov. Easley
in partnership with NC
United Way, to assist vic-tims
of Hurricane Katrina.
Seven-year-old Jackson Alexander had a weighty subject to discuss with the
Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores recently. Jackson brought in a jar filled with
coins – more than $70 worth! – as a donation to the Aquarium’s current
expansion project. “I thought if I helped raise money, maybe the Aquarium
would open sooner,” young Jackson explained. The Aquarium closed Jan. 1,
2004, for a two-year expansion. Reopening is set for May 2006.
The Alexanders are long-time Aquarium Society members. “We first brought
Jackson to the Aquarium when he was 6 months old,” said his grandmother,
Loretta Alexander of Emerald Isle. “He absolutely loves it and is so anxious for
it to reopen.”
Jackson is the son of Perry and Catherine Alexander of Kinston. A rising
second-grader, enterprising Jackson came up with his fund-raising idea when
the Aquarium closed. He created five different marine habitats in small
aquariums at his grandmother’s home in Emerald Isle and stocked them with
plastic animal replicas. He posted a sign outside announcing “Alexander’s
Aquarium at the Beach House.” He charged $2 for friends and neighbors to
visit. Turtles, eels, clams, sharks and whales, and an Arctic habitat were the
featured exhibits.
This fall, Jackson stopped in
at the Aquarium’s offsite
location in Atlantic Station
Shopping Center to deliver
his contribution. Aquarium
Director Jay Barnes came out
to meet him and thank him
for his donation. The two dis-cussed
Jackson’s innovative
fund-raising efforts and
Jackson was given an on-the-
spot “behind-the-scenes
tour” of the husbandry hold-ing
area. He’ll be invited back
for a special “behind-the-scenes”
tour when the new
Aquarium opens.
In addition to “Alexander’s
Aquarium at the Beach
House,” Jackson and his
5-year-old sister, Caileigh,
operated a lemonade stand
to raise money for the
Aquarium. Jackson’s younger
brother, 1-year-old Braxton,
was too young to get in on
the action.
5
Counting Nickels and Dimes
By Sherry White, Publicity Coordinator
NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
By Bob Roush, Public
Relations Coordinator
NC Aquarium at
Fort Fisher
Jackson Alexander was all smiles when he met
the director and delivered his contribution.
Aly Stratton camps it up with
visitors during Halloween festivities.
A mere figment of his former self, a pirate
catches a ride on an Aquarium alligator.
Photo by Sherry White
Photo by Jacob Rudolph
Photo by Bob Roush
In early November, the Aquarium at Fort Fisher pulled
back the curtain on a dazzling new ensemble:
Marine snakes, cuttlefish, lionfish and Pacific reef fishes
are the headliners. Another player, an octopus, has been
charming visitors since an earlier debut in August.
“People can now see some of the strangest and most
beautiful creatures from the far reaches of our planet,”
said Donna Moffitt, the facility’s director.
Moffitt describes the
new collection as a bold
excursion from the NC
Aquariums’ tradition of
showcasing only those life
forms indigenous to the state’s
freshwater, coastal and open ocean habitats.
“We’re sending a message,” said Moffitt. “There’s
always something new and exciting at the Aquarium!”
Real Sea Serpents
Highly venomous marine snakes take center stage in the new gallery. The
collection includes an erabu (Laticauda semifasciata) and a yellow-lipped
or banded sea krait (l. colubrina), two krait species from the Indian Ocean
and tropical Pacific. The exhibit allows excellent, yet quite safe, views
of these fascinating animals, as they move among the roots of a
mangrove habitat typical of Sri Lanka or New Guinea.
Cuttlefish
Many will find it amazing that these fast moving, visually fascinating
animals are mollusks – relatives of clams, oysters and snails. Cuttlefish
are cephalopods, a group that includes octopus and squid. Like other
cephalopods, cuttlefish shoot ink to foil enemies and prey, and rapidly
change color and patterns. This “fluorescent flashing” lets them blend
with their surroundings, warn enemies, confuse prey, or lure a mate.
The cuttlefish on display are European (Sepia
officinalis), or pharaoh cuttlefish (Sepia pharao-nis).
Both are found worldwide, but the
European is especially prevalent in the
Mediterranean. The pharaoh is
more common in the Red
Sea and Indian Ocean.
Because
cuttlefish live
for only a year
or so, keeping enough
for an exhibit is a challenge. The solution is captive breeding. The exhibited
animals are offspring of a seed-population imported months ago. The
Aquarium also propagates sea horses, sea nettles and moon jellies to
ensure a steady supply of specimens for exhibits.
Exotica By Bob Roush, Public Relations Coordinator, NC Aquarium at Fort Fisher
Strange and Beautiful
6
Lionfish
Lionfish are members of a
family with specialized
spines that
inflict venom.
The new
gallery
includes several
lionfish
(Pterois
volitans), and
their close relatives, spotted
scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri).
Creatures of the Indo-Pacific, lionfish were first
seen in North Carolina waters in 2000 by scuba
divers exploring offshore wrecks. Since then,
their numbers have increased dramatically. They
are now considered an invasive species that
could impact native fishes. The indigenous scor-pionfish
is found from Massachusetts to Brazil.
The two species flutter and lurk in a rocky lair
similar to the hardbottom reefs near our coast.
Exotic Aquatics.
7
High-Tech Visuals
Exotic Aquatics’ new interpretive technologies make
learning fun. A flat panel liquid-crystal
display at each exhibit provides
facts and photo IDs to
illuminate the
featured animals.
Screen content,
controlled though
an unseen computer,
is easily updated.
Photos by Jacob Rudolph and Bob Roush
Pacific Reef
A vibrant exhibit a few steps
away houses species
typically found on a
Pacific-atoll coral reef. The
scene may remind visitors of the
characters and backdrops
in the movie, “Finding Nemo.”
This collection of fanciful, colorful
reef-feeders includes clownfish,
angelfish, tangs, wrasses,
butterflyfish, cardinalfish and
others. The “live rock” in this
exhibit poses a special
challenge for aquarists,
because it harbors living
corals and other
invertebrates found in
Pacific reef habitats.
About Sea Snakes
All of the 70 known species are true snakes,
with lungs. Most can remain submerged for
90 minutes or more, but typically surface
several times an hour for air.
These highly venomous relatives of cobras
are found in great numbers in the tropical
waters of the Indian and Pacific Oceans.
Their venom is an extremely potent cocktail
of toxins, used for subduing prey. Their
fangs are small, and fatal bites to humans
are rare.
Most marine snakes never leave the water
and bear live young there. Only sea kraits
venture onto land to lay eggs.
Exotic Aquatics has two sea krait species,
both found in mangrove swamps, coral reefs
and the open sea. One, the banded, or yel-low-
lipped, dines exclusively on eels.
The other, the erabu, accepts other fish.
Yellow-lipped sea krait, l. colubrina
Life on Planet Ocean
Biochemistry major Jaimee Floyd spent part
of her summer feeding fish, turtles and alli-gators
at the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll
Shores. The aquarium is operating out of
temporary quarters in Atlantic Station
Shopping Center, Atlantic Beach, while work
continues on its $25-million expansion. The
new Aquarium is scheduled to reopen in May
2006. Floyd was one of several interns to
work at the aquarium during the summer.
“I’ve always liked biology and chemistry,” said
Floyd, “so I just put the two together.” A stu-dent
at Mississippi State University (MSU),
Floyd has another year of undergraduate
school before attending MSU’s veterinary
school. She learned of the aquarium’s intern-ship
program on the Internet. The Aquariums
offer internships in various departments and list
information at www.ncaquariums.com.
Because the Aquarium is closed for expan-sion,
Floyd wasn’t sure what she would be
doing. “I didn’t really know what to expect,”
she said, “but I had plenty to do!” Her duties
ranged from cleaning tanks to feeding ani-mals,
to joining the Aquarium’s husbandry
staff on collecting trips in area waters. “There’s
a lot of routine maintenance, but I really liked
working with the animals,” she said.
At the completion of her veterinary studies,
Floyd wants to work with exotic animals in
an aquarium or zoo. “I’ve worked in a vet’s
office, and working with these animals is
definitely different,” she said. “It reaffirms
my goal of working with exotic animals.”
Your Best Shot
Helping build jellyfish propagation tanks
was one of Floyd’s jobs.
Hit us with your best shot for the NC Aquarium’s annual
Underwater Photo Competition. The contest is designed for ama-teur
and non-professional photographers, and no entry fee is
required. Deadline for this year’s entries is December 31, 2005.
Winners will be announced on or before March 31, 2006. Now in
its fifth year, the contest is sponsored by East Carolina Bank.
The Aquariums stage the underwater photo contest to highlight
the state’s rich aquatic resources, and to recognize excellence in
amateur photography. Cash prizes are awarded in three cate-gories;
Underwater Open, Underwater Animal Close-ups and
Aquatic Life in the NC Aquariums. Entries by divers must be taken
in the waters off North Carolina, or within the state’s freshwater
systems. Winning photos are published here in Aquarium News.
For complete contest rules and entry application, or to view last
year’s winning entries, visit www.ncaquariums.com.
8
On-the-Job Training
By Sherry White, Publicity Coordinator, NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Colorful Christmas tree worms, photographed by Brian Thomason of
Morehead City, are small filter feeders that subsist mainly on bacteria
and organic matter.
Photos by Sherry White
Working with turtles and alligators was Jaimee Floyd’s favorite task during her summer
internship at the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
9
The Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores closed Jan.
1, 2004, to begin a long-planned expansion.
When it reopens in May 2006, it will be three
times larger than the original facility and have
many new and exciting features. Architectural
plans include a 32-foot waterfall, 306,000-
gallon Living Shipwreck exhibit, 50,000-gal-lon
Queen Anne’s Revenge display, stingray
touch pool, otter exhibit and many other
dynamic features.
Aquarium Director Jay Barnes continues to
take notes. Here are excerpts from his…
Director’s Log
The NEW Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is
taking shape. The building is now “dried in,��� a
term indicating that the roofing is watertight,
allowing installation of Sheetrock wallboards.
As the Sheetrock has gone up, many rooms,
offices and galleries have taken on their final
appearance. As staff and architects complete
their inspections, we get a real sense of the
visitor’s journey through our five galleries,
From the Mountains to the Sea.
Many of the electrical, mechanical and
plumbing systems are in place, and prepara-tions
are under way to start up these systems
in the coming months. Air handlers are being
prepped to begin circulating, and the all-important
main electrical power feed for the
building will be installed soon. The new waste
treatment plant, which recently has been the
subject of local media attention, will be oper-ational
within a few weeks.
Hurricane Ophelia did not harm construction,
however, it did delay work about a week.
Fortunately, the building suffered no damage
despite high winds battering the area for
more than 30 hours. The Aquarium’s dock on
Bogue Sound was hit hard, but repairs will
begin soon.
In recent days, one very visible addition has
been the entrance plaza canopy, a large roof
structure that provides cover for visitors as
they come and go from the Aquarium. Other
recent work includes the steel and fabric
framework for the Smoky Mountain Waterfall,
a massive interior display formed to look like a
mountain gorge. Soon, sprayed concrete will
be applied to the form, then sculpted to look
like chiseled rock. Most all exhibit tanks are
now on site, and in the coming months win-dows
and decorative inserts will be added.
Graphic panels are in production, ceramic tile
work begins soon, painting has begun in some
work areas—the list of individual tasks goes on.
New staff continue to join us as well, includ-ing
Education Curator Windy Arey-Kent. Over
the next several months almost three-dozen
new employees will be hired, working in all
aspects of our operations. For more informa-tion
about jobs at the Aquarium, monitor our
employment link on the Aquarium website:
www.ncaquariums.com.
Jay Barnes
New Aquarium – On Time, On Budget!
With scaffolding in the foreground, the
Smoky Mountain Waterfall looks like a
spelunker’s dream. The 32-foot high
waterfall will cascade into a clear mountain
trout pool.
A new state-of-the-art filtration system
will provide optimum life support for
Aquarium animals.
The new entrance at the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores is taking shape. Interior walls are going
up, pavilion canopies are going on, and tanks are being water tested.
Photos by Jay Barnes
Photo by Mark Joyner
10
Thanks to Whole Foods Market, a school
of flashy fish has found a new perma-nent
home at the NC Aquariums. The
whimsical sculptures, once suspended
over the seafood department of the pop-ular
Raleigh grocery, were donated to
the Aquariums last summer.
The colorful and imaginative contempo-rary
creations are the work of studio
artist Bill Hickman, who specializes in
welded steel designs, often created
from scrap objects such as saw
blades and barbed wire. The collection is
valued at more than $14,000.
The nine fanciful figures range
in size from nearly 6 feet
long and 3 feet high to a
diminutive 12-inches in
height. Tentative plans are
to install the majority of the
sculptures in the new NC Aquarium at
Pine Knoll Shores, where they will add
an element of whimsy for visitors.
Aquarium To Get Facelift
Sharks, like this sand tiger, will
be one of the specimens in the
new million-gallon-plus exhibit.
Photo by Sandy Smith
Fanciful Fish
Visitors to the Aquarium on Roanoke Island can look forward to
noticeable changes and exciting new residents in the not-so-dis-tant
future. “We’re looking at redesigning our admission entrance
and parking lot,” said Aquarium Director J.P. McCann. “We’re also
planning to add a new soundfront multipurpose room. But the most
exciting news is a new exhibit that will feature a variety of impres-sively
large sharks.” Construction is set to begin in late 2006, with
completion targeted for 2008.
The new shark exhibit will be three times larger than the
Aquarium’s existing 285,000-gallon Graveyard of the Atlantic
display. “Our surveys indicate that the public would like more ani-mals,
bigger animals and more feeding programs,” said McCann.
“The new shark exhibit will hold more than a million gallons of salt
water, and we’ll continue our popular diver-in-the-tank and feed-ing
demonstrations.”
The building’s redesign will also create more space for staff, animal
holding, exhibits and public gatherings. “There’s a demand for
space that can be rented by the public for meetings, seminars and
other such events,” explained McCann. “Adding the soundfront
multipurpose room will meet that need, and when not in use, the
staff can use it for special programs. Also, the redesign of the front
admission area will better serve visitors during high-visitation
times, such as summer and holidays.”
11
It was a “hurry-up-and-wait�� kind of day at
the NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores.
Operating out of its offsite location in
Atlantic Station Shopping Center, Atlantic
Beach, the staff was anticipating the deliv-ery
of three large sand tiger sharks. A
30,000-gallon holding tank had been filled,
a freshwater-dip bath was ready, the weight
scales were in place, and a veterinary staff
was on stand-by for the sharks’ arrival.
The new sharks were collected and being
transported by Dynasty Marine Associates,
Inc., a federally-permitted collection compa-ny
based in Marathon, Fla. Dynasty provides
specimens to zoos and aquariums around
the world. The Aquarium has approximately
1,000 specimens in its holding facility, with
a projected 3,000 total specimens planned
for its grand opening in May in its new
$25-million Aquarium.
“We get specimens from four primary
sources,” explained Aquarium Husbandry
Curator Stuart May. “We collect many our-selves,
we trade with other aquariums, some
come from professional collecting organiza-tions,
and we get others from local fishermen,
pier owners and recreational divers. We opted
to get the sand tigers from Dynasty because
we’re working with a minimal husbandry staff
while we’re closed for expansion.”
Dynasty collected the sharks off Delmarva
Peninsula and transported them to the
Aquarium in the company’s specially-equipped
tractor-trailer. One by one, the ani-mals
were off-loaded in a standard, stretch-er-
like sling. Each was weighed, followed by
a freshwater dip to remove parasites and
take blood samples. In a little more than an
hour, the sharks were swimming in their new
30,000-gallon home.
The new specimens, two females and a
male, averaged more than 7 feet in length
and weighed between 165 and 235 pounds.
According to Dr. Craig Harms, assistant pro-fessor
of aquatic and zoo animals with NC
State College of Veterinary Medicine, pre-liminary
onsite analysis of the blood sam-ples
indicated the sharks had weathered the
trip well.
“Sand tigers are very common on wrecks off
our coast,” commented Aquarist Jeff
McBane. “You can almost guarantee sight-ings
on the Papoose, Atlas, Caribsea, Indra
and other wrecks. We’ll also be getting nurse
sharks, bonnetheads, which are a small
species of hammerhead, and brown sharks,
also known as sandbar sharks. We’ll most
likely collect those ourselves, when our addi-tional
staff comes onboard during the next
few months.”
Sand tigers are found in coastal waters of
Australia, South Africa, South America,
Japan, India and China in depths up to 655
feet. In American waters, they are consid-ered
non-aggressive and fairly easy to cap-ture.
Fearsome-looking, with the habit of
swimming with mouths agape to expose
narrow, needle-like teeth, they are essential-ly
gentle sharks. However, they can become
aggressive if provoked. Their diet consists
primarily of large and small bony fishes,
small sharks, rays, crustaceans and squid.
They are known to make long migrations for
reproduction.
“These animals will be among the most
popular specimens on display in the new
Aquarium,” said Jay Barnes, Aquarium
director. “We know that sharks always get a
lot of attention from visitors, and seeing
these sand tigers up close will leave a lasting
impression.”
By Sherry White, Publicity Coordinator
NC Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores
Photo by Sherry White
Photo by Sherry White
Photo by Georgia Minnich
A 7-foot female sand tiger shark is released into its new home.
Parasites are removed. Dr. Craig Harms (right) takes a blood sample.
Sharks!
Be one of the many Aquarium
fans to sport a special license
plate, featuring the Aquarium
spadefish logo. These colorful
plates are ready to go to press as
soon as commitments and pay-ments
reach 300. The cost of the
specialty tag is just $30, in addi-tion
to your regular annual license
plate fee.
You can also personalize your plate
for an additional $30, which allows you to choose a combina-tion
of four letters or numbers. Creative phrases already ordered
include FINS, OBX, FISH, TUNA, WAVE and H20.
To order your specialized
plate, fill out the application
below and clip and mail to
the N.C. Aquarium Society,
417 N. Blount St., Raleigh,
NC 27601.
Please make your check or
money order payable to the
NC Aquarium Society.
For more information, call the NC Aquarium Society at
1.800.832.FISH (3474). Thank you for your interest and
support of the Aquariums!
Application for the NORTH CAROLINA AQUARIUMS LICENSE PLATE
Please check one: (Note: These fees are in addition to your regular annual license plate fee.)
❏ NC Aquariums License Plate $30.00 ❏ NC Aquariums Personalized Plate $60.00*
* Four (4) spaces are allowed on the NC Aquariums Personalized Plate.
Please enter your choices: 1st choice: ___ ___ ___ ___
2nd choice: ___ ___ ___ ___
3rd choice: ___ ___ ___ ___
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________________
First Middle Last
Address: ___________________________________________________________________________________
City: __________________________________________________State:_________ Zip Code:__________________
Telephone Number:__________________________________________Current NC Plate Number:____________________
Driver License Number:______________________________________Vehicle Identification Number:___________________
Vehicle Information: ______________________Year___________Model____________Make________________Body Style
Owner’s Certification of Liability Insurance
I certify that I have financial responsibility as required by law for the motor vehicle above.
___________________________________________________________________________________
Print or type full name of insurance company authorized in NC – not agency or group
___________________________________________________________________________________
Policy Number – If policy is not issued, name of agency binding coverage
___________________________________________________________________________________
Signature of Owner Date of Certification
Please send check or money order with this application made payable to: NC Aquarium Society, 417 N. Blount St., Raleigh, NC 27601 12
✃
G E T N T H E L I S T !
Aquarium Membership Application
❏ Mr. ❏ Mrs. ❏ Ms. ❏ Dr. Name: ________________________________________________________ Phone: (____) ____________
Address:________________________________________________City: _____________________State: ____________Zip: ___________
Payment: ❏ Cash ❏ Check ❏ Visa ❏ MC ❏ Disc ❏ Amex Credit Card number: ________________________ Expiration date: ________
Signature: _______________________________________________Printed Name: ___________________________________________
Please make checks payable to N.C. Aquarium Society, 417 N. Blount St., Raleigh, NC 27601.
The N.C. Aquarium Society is a non-profit organization, and contributions are tax deductible as allowed by law.
❏ $30 Individual Membership
❏ $50 Family Membership
❏ $100 Donor Membership
❏ $300 Patron Membership
❏ $500 Director Membership
❏ $1000 Benefactor Membership
Join the Family!
If you enjoy the Aquariums (not to mention the NC
Zoo), and still haven’t become a member, you’re miss-ing
out on an incredible deal. Aquarium membership
allows year-round admission to all three NC
Aquariums, the Zoo, and more than 150 other US zoos
and aquariums. A family of two adults and children
or grandchildren under 18 can enjoy the Aquariums
all year for only $50, and take advantage of 10%
discounts on programs and Gift Shop purchases.
Your membership helps support Aquarium education
programs and activities, which each year reach over
a million visitors, including 100,000 school students
from across the state.
It’s Easy!
To join the NC Aquarium Society or to send a gift
membership to someone special, just fill out the
application below and mail it in. You can also join
by calling 1-800-832-FISH (3474), Ext. 229.
Download additional membership applications from
www.ncaquariums.com.
N O R T H C A R O L I N A
AQUARIUM SOCIETY
✃
Answers: 1. Orangespotted filefish; 2. Oyster toadfish; 3. Blenny; 4. Flounder; 5. Reticulate moray; 6. Lionfish; 7. Great barracuda; 8. Red drum
Divers often wonder who’s looking at
whom when they venture into our myste-rious
world beneath the sea. Can you
identify these eye-to-eye encounters with
fascinating creatures from our waters?
Answers are at the bottom of the quiz.
Photo by Lee Moore
Photo by Barbara Reavis
Photo by Paul Gray
Photo by Sandy Smith
Photo by Joe Poe
Photo by Sandy Smith
Photo by Dale Hansen
Here’s Looking
at You . . .
1.___________________________ 2.___________________________
3.___________________________
6.___________________________ 7.___________________________
Photo by John Mauser
8.___________________________
4.___________________________ 5.___________________________
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AQUARIUM SOCIETY
This issue of The Aquarium News is made possible
through a grant from Landfall Foundation.
Make a Splash!
Dare to be different with a specialized
license plate sporting the Aquariums’
unique logo. Cost of the specialty tag
is just $30, in addition to the regular
annual license plate fee. Of this
amount, $20 goes to support the
exhibits, programs and activities at the
North Carolina Aquariums. The remain-ing
$10 helps fund other state projects,
such as highway beautification and
visitor centers.
To apply for your special tag, complete
the application on page 12. Additional
applications are available on the
Aquariums’ award-winning website
www.ncaquariums.com.
For more information about the
trendy new tag, or for information
about the Aquariums, call the NC
Aquarium Society at 1.800.832.FISH
(3474). Thank you for your continued
interest and support!